Effects of the spatial complexity of Kanji radicals on spelling errors

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K17616
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Experimental psychology; Cognitive science
• Research Institution: Fukushima University
• Principal Investigator: Takahashi Junichi 福島大学, 人間発達文化学類, 准教授 (10723538)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 書字エラー / 対称性 / 同等集合サイズ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study examined the effects of the spatial complexity of Kanji radicals on spelling errors. Firstly, I newly constructed patterns to evaluate spelling errors in Japanese Kanji referring to the theory of pattern recognition and confirmed the validity of the patterns conducting a rating task (graduate and undergraduate students: N = 40). Using evaluation patterns, I examined Japanese primary school students’ errors in spelling Kanji in terms of the spatial complexity of the arrangement of Kanji radicals in relation to their grade levels (5th graders [10- to 11-year-olds]: n = 54; 6th graders [11- to 12-year-olds]: n = 59). I found that the accuracy of complex Kanji was higher among 6th graders than among 5th graders. Also, effects of spatial complexity on accuracy were observed in 5th graders but not 6th graders. I also found that these results could be explained by Garner’s equivalent set size, the intra-configurational transformation structures, and the number of objects.

Free Research Field

実験心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

漢字は，部首が空間的に配置されて構成されたものである。パターン認知研究では，物体の空間的複雑さが認知（記憶）成績に影響を及ぼすことが指摘されてきた（複雑なものは覚えにくい）。したがって，漢字書字の成績（漢字書字エラー）は，漢字を構成する部首の空間配置によって影響を受けると推測され，本研究を実施した。当初の予測の通り，漢字部首の空間配置が複雑になると，漢字書字エラーが上昇した。本研究の知見は，漢字の学習において，漢字部首の空間配置に注目して指導することの有効性について示唆する。